Amelia Earhart-era pilot Evelyn Sharp recalled in lecture and book signing with biographer Diane Bartels August 22 at The Museum of FlightSEATTLE, Aug. 4, 2009

--Author Diane Bartels will be at The Museum of Flight on August 22 at 2 p.m. with an inspirational presentation about 1930s - 1940s pilot Evelyn Sharp. The program is based upon Bartel's book, "Sharpie: The Life Story of Evelyn Sharp - Nebraska's Aviatrix." Born in 1919, Evelyn Sharp grew up in Nebraska during the Depression. Motivated by her first airplane ride at age 15, she earned a commercial-transport pilot license within the next three years. By the time she was 20, "Sharpie" was one only ten women flight instructors in the United States. Soon she became one of the first women to ferry U.S. Army Air Force fighters during World War II. Sharp gave her life to her country in 1944 during at takeoff accident while at the controls of an Air Force P-38 Lightning fighter plane. The presentation is in the William M. Allen Theater. Bartels will field questions from the audience and sign books following the presentation. This program is free for museum members or with admission the Museum.
Museum visitors can see a P-38 Lightning--Lizzie IV--and many other World War II fighter planes in the Museum's Personal Courage Wing. For more information see: http://www.museumofflight.org/WWII
For more information about Evelyn Sharp see: http://www.ninety-nines.org/sharpie.html
For more information about the book "Sharpie: The Life Story of Evelyn Sharp - Nebraska's Aviatrix" see: http://www.ninety-nines.org/books/b-sharpie.html
Image: Evelyn Sharp (center) with other Woman Airforce Service Pilots in 1943. U.S. Air Force photo.

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The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 (on Boeing Field between downtown Seattle and SeaTac Airport.) The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for active military, $7.50 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org.